Chapter 13: The Plan
Amos awoke with a pounding headache, his cheek against a rough gritty surface that proved to be dirt. He was confused, and couldn't figure out why he was laying on the ground. It was quiet, except for the scrabble of rats and probably cats and dogs rooting for food. He pushed himself up onto his feet. Only by sheer force of will was Amos able to hold himself upright as the headache surged to the fore, temporarily blinding him with pain. The pain only angered him. He, who had never before had pain inflicted on him, was now at the mercy of a painful throbbing at the back of his skull, the source of which was a few very large bumps.
Slowly, his memory returned. He had been with Arianne, meting out a perfectly just punishment when...when what? He tried to think of what had happened...all he could remember was a sharp pain...Fury clouded his mind. Arianne had something to do with it, the little whore. He knew she did. But he also distinctly remembered that she had been on the ground before he couldn't remember any more...in fact, she hadn't been moving. He hoped he hadn't killed the girl, she still hadn't paid the full price for her insolence. Growling, he took a step and found he had to support himself on the wall to get anywhere.
Finally finding his way out of the alley, he looked at the shop that supported his endeavor. The blacksmith's...blasted Will Turner's shop...sure, he made great blades, but the bastard was a pirate-lover. Hell, for all anyone knew, he WAS a bastard. Not only that, but he had Elizabeth Swann. Amos had wanted her for years...and then Will, who had no family to speak of and was a lowly blacksmith's apprentice, stole her right out from under his nose.
Suddenly, an idea appeared in his mind. How perfect would it be to frame Will for his being knocked out in the alley? How perfect, for then he'd go to jail and Amos could court Elizabeth...While he was at it, he'd bring Jack Sparrow into the picture. Smiling wickedly, he remembered that the Black Pearl had been at port this morning. It would be so easy...so very easy to do this...laughing out loud, in spite of the fresh attack of pain in his head, he made his way slowly to his house down the deserted street.
Little did he know that he had missed Arianne, Will, and Jack as they departed for Will's house by little more than five minutes.
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"I'm so sorry my daughter never came back down, Sir James," Arianne's father said to Sir James around the time Arianne was being tended by Will in the shop. "I'm sure she became a bit ill...it happens every so often, you know."
"Yes, yes, perfectly alright, I understand perfectly," James replied in good humor. "Just so long as she doesn't take sick on our wedding night if you know what I mean." He winked.
"Right-o, old boy!" Mr. Bailey said cheerfully, wishing his friend a fond farewell.
Shutting the door behind Sir James, however, Arthur Bailey was very angry with his only daughter. He stormed up the stairs and knocked on her door imperiously, shouting for her to open up. He got no reply. Scowling fiercely, he tried the door. To his utter infuriation, it was locked, and from the inside, so he couldn't unlock it himself.
Still getting no reply after shouting himself hoarse, he cursed her roundly as he broke the lock with a crowbar and stormed into her room, where he found even more reason to curse. He roared the curses at the top of his lungs for a round half hour when he found the sheet rope still tied to the bedpost and hanging out the window.
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Amos made sure to enter by the servants' entrance and snitched a knife from the kitchen before heading up to his room quietly, dodging anyone who might see him. Once there, he cut himself in seemingly chance places, a slash across the arm, cutting his sleeve, one along his side, but there he didn't slice skin. He also bashed himself a couple times in the face, to make it that much more convincing. He had to sit down after the head bashing, due to the probable concussion objecting to his head taking more damage. His weakness only infuriated him more, of course. He would take his revenge on Arianne, there was no doubt about it. And while he was at it, he would make Elizabeth his as well. Oh the exquisite pleasure of Elizabeth submitting to him. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he left his room and went back outside as quietly as he'd come, making sure no one saw him. Grinning as he made his way around the back of the house to look as though he was coming from the business district, he schooled his expression when he reached the house to be one of utter agony. He staggered up to the door, opening it and falling facedown inside the door, making a kind of strangled cry as he did so.
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Marian watched Amos slip upstairs and hurried to her mistress' rooms. "Madam," she whispered softly as she entered the dim suite where she knew Amara was.
"Yes?" came a voice from one of the chairs.
"Madam, I just saw Master Amos go upstairs. He had a bump on the back of his head."
"Thank you, Marian, that will be all."
Bowing, Marian left the suite and returned to her normal duties.
Amara reflected on this. She knew that Arianne had been gone for a large portion of the afternoon. Marian had talked to Katie shortly after Arianne had disappeared. Katie had talked to one of the servants from next door, and she had told her that she thought she'd seen Arianne sneaking through the bushes. Amos hadn't been home through any of this. He hadn't even bothered to be around for the meeting with Sir James. That was odd, Amos seemed to take an unusual interest in Arianne.
Of course, Amara knew about some of the things Amos had done to Arianne. In fact, Amos hated Amara almost as much as he hated his sister. Amara had stopped him from beating up the young Arianne more than once, and Amos had harbored the grudge ever since. Amara could do nothing about it, now, however. She suspected Amos still beat on Arianne, probably more brutally than he had when he was younger thanks to his dual frustration of being unable to do the same to his own mother. She shuddered that such a monster had been born of her body. She had no control of the situation.Arthur had recently taken any control she may have had over her children away completely. He was trying to force her only daughter to marry a man more than three times her age. Amara was distraught. She didn't want to be left alone with Arthur and Amos. Arianne was the only one that ever paid her any attention anymore. On the other hand, she didn't want Arianne to be here for more torture. Amara knew that Arianne had been doing something out of the ordinary for the past week. She'd been walking around in a blissful daze the whole time. Amara hadn't had the chance to question her, however, and thus had no idea what her daughter was up to. Amara only hoped that Arianne had met with friends. Such as Jack Sparrow. Jack would be able to protect her. Jack would even be a suitable husband as far as Amara was concerned. Arianne loved to get her hands dirty, and she loved the pirate stories. She would have loved to be a member of the pirate crew of the Black Pearl. Worried, Amara twisted her wedding ring around her finger and prayed with all her might that Amos hadn't found Arianne this afternoon.
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Woot! Chapter 13! This one I almost had to rewrite, because it was almost lost in the change of computers.but I didn't have to so the chapter isn't as screwed up as I feared it would be! However, it's not quite what my mind had been going to today, but I kind of like where the story led me anyway. Anywho, thanks again to everyone that's read the story! ^.^ I hope you like so far! Also, have you noticed that I keep naming family members of Arianne beginning with "A"? It didn't really click until this chapter.
Amos awoke with a pounding headache, his cheek against a rough gritty surface that proved to be dirt. He was confused, and couldn't figure out why he was laying on the ground. It was quiet, except for the scrabble of rats and probably cats and dogs rooting for food. He pushed himself up onto his feet. Only by sheer force of will was Amos able to hold himself upright as the headache surged to the fore, temporarily blinding him with pain. The pain only angered him. He, who had never before had pain inflicted on him, was now at the mercy of a painful throbbing at the back of his skull, the source of which was a few very large bumps.
Slowly, his memory returned. He had been with Arianne, meting out a perfectly just punishment when...when what? He tried to think of what had happened...all he could remember was a sharp pain...Fury clouded his mind. Arianne had something to do with it, the little whore. He knew she did. But he also distinctly remembered that she had been on the ground before he couldn't remember any more...in fact, she hadn't been moving. He hoped he hadn't killed the girl, she still hadn't paid the full price for her insolence. Growling, he took a step and found he had to support himself on the wall to get anywhere.
Finally finding his way out of the alley, he looked at the shop that supported his endeavor. The blacksmith's...blasted Will Turner's shop...sure, he made great blades, but the bastard was a pirate-lover. Hell, for all anyone knew, he WAS a bastard. Not only that, but he had Elizabeth Swann. Amos had wanted her for years...and then Will, who had no family to speak of and was a lowly blacksmith's apprentice, stole her right out from under his nose.
Suddenly, an idea appeared in his mind. How perfect would it be to frame Will for his being knocked out in the alley? How perfect, for then he'd go to jail and Amos could court Elizabeth...While he was at it, he'd bring Jack Sparrow into the picture. Smiling wickedly, he remembered that the Black Pearl had been at port this morning. It would be so easy...so very easy to do this...laughing out loud, in spite of the fresh attack of pain in his head, he made his way slowly to his house down the deserted street.
Little did he know that he had missed Arianne, Will, and Jack as they departed for Will's house by little more than five minutes.
********************************
"I'm so sorry my daughter never came back down, Sir James," Arianne's father said to Sir James around the time Arianne was being tended by Will in the shop. "I'm sure she became a bit ill...it happens every so often, you know."
"Yes, yes, perfectly alright, I understand perfectly," James replied in good humor. "Just so long as she doesn't take sick on our wedding night if you know what I mean." He winked.
"Right-o, old boy!" Mr. Bailey said cheerfully, wishing his friend a fond farewell.
Shutting the door behind Sir James, however, Arthur Bailey was very angry with his only daughter. He stormed up the stairs and knocked on her door imperiously, shouting for her to open up. He got no reply. Scowling fiercely, he tried the door. To his utter infuriation, it was locked, and from the inside, so he couldn't unlock it himself.
Still getting no reply after shouting himself hoarse, he cursed her roundly as he broke the lock with a crowbar and stormed into her room, where he found even more reason to curse. He roared the curses at the top of his lungs for a round half hour when he found the sheet rope still tied to the bedpost and hanging out the window.
********************************
Amos made sure to enter by the servants' entrance and snitched a knife from the kitchen before heading up to his room quietly, dodging anyone who might see him. Once there, he cut himself in seemingly chance places, a slash across the arm, cutting his sleeve, one along his side, but there he didn't slice skin. He also bashed himself a couple times in the face, to make it that much more convincing. He had to sit down after the head bashing, due to the probable concussion objecting to his head taking more damage. His weakness only infuriated him more, of course. He would take his revenge on Arianne, there was no doubt about it. And while he was at it, he would make Elizabeth his as well. Oh the exquisite pleasure of Elizabeth submitting to him. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he left his room and went back outside as quietly as he'd come, making sure no one saw him. Grinning as he made his way around the back of the house to look as though he was coming from the business district, he schooled his expression when he reached the house to be one of utter agony. He staggered up to the door, opening it and falling facedown inside the door, making a kind of strangled cry as he did so.
********************************
Marian watched Amos slip upstairs and hurried to her mistress' rooms. "Madam," she whispered softly as she entered the dim suite where she knew Amara was.
"Yes?" came a voice from one of the chairs.
"Madam, I just saw Master Amos go upstairs. He had a bump on the back of his head."
"Thank you, Marian, that will be all."
Bowing, Marian left the suite and returned to her normal duties.
Amara reflected on this. She knew that Arianne had been gone for a large portion of the afternoon. Marian had talked to Katie shortly after Arianne had disappeared. Katie had talked to one of the servants from next door, and she had told her that she thought she'd seen Arianne sneaking through the bushes. Amos hadn't been home through any of this. He hadn't even bothered to be around for the meeting with Sir James. That was odd, Amos seemed to take an unusual interest in Arianne.
Of course, Amara knew about some of the things Amos had done to Arianne. In fact, Amos hated Amara almost as much as he hated his sister. Amara had stopped him from beating up the young Arianne more than once, and Amos had harbored the grudge ever since. Amara could do nothing about it, now, however. She suspected Amos still beat on Arianne, probably more brutally than he had when he was younger thanks to his dual frustration of being unable to do the same to his own mother. She shuddered that such a monster had been born of her body. She had no control of the situation.Arthur had recently taken any control she may have had over her children away completely. He was trying to force her only daughter to marry a man more than three times her age. Amara was distraught. She didn't want to be left alone with Arthur and Amos. Arianne was the only one that ever paid her any attention anymore. On the other hand, she didn't want Arianne to be here for more torture. Amara knew that Arianne had been doing something out of the ordinary for the past week. She'd been walking around in a blissful daze the whole time. Amara hadn't had the chance to question her, however, and thus had no idea what her daughter was up to. Amara only hoped that Arianne had met with friends. Such as Jack Sparrow. Jack would be able to protect her. Jack would even be a suitable husband as far as Amara was concerned. Arianne loved to get her hands dirty, and she loved the pirate stories. She would have loved to be a member of the pirate crew of the Black Pearl. Worried, Amara twisted her wedding ring around her finger and prayed with all her might that Amos hadn't found Arianne this afternoon.
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Woot! Chapter 13! This one I almost had to rewrite, because it was almost lost in the change of computers.but I didn't have to so the chapter isn't as screwed up as I feared it would be! However, it's not quite what my mind had been going to today, but I kind of like where the story led me anyway. Anywho, thanks again to everyone that's read the story! ^.^ I hope you like so far! Also, have you noticed that I keep naming family members of Arianne beginning with "A"? It didn't really click until this chapter.